When I first made the Crunchy Pawprint Biscuits (see two posts previously), I unintentionally allowed the butter to melt in the microwave rather than just soften. Carried on with the recipe and all was well.
Same mistake when making the second, larger batch of Cranberry and Currant Scones (previous post). In this and similar recipes, method says to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. I find 'rubbing in' unrewarding, and since the butter had already melted ... The flour/butter mixture was slightly damp so I added a little more flour and carried on with the method. The baked scones were excellent, so I think my rubbing-in days might be over.
I can only hope that no professional chefs read this.
Sunday, 21 April 2013
Thursday, 18 April 2013
More Baking: Cranberry & Currant Scones
Yes, there are plenty of scone recipes around. Some I've tried didn't rise properly, others were dry, but this is my final version which has been, er, well received! They keep well in the freezer too.
Quantities and types of dried fruit can, of course, be altered, for example using sultanas instead of currants or all cranberries, but the recipe here has gone into my Special Folder for those that are definite keepers. The relative amounts of flour and milk work for the types I buy (organic plain flour and semi-skimmed organic milk), but if others are used they may need adjusting to make the dough doughy, not too sticky and not too dry.
The recipe makes about ten scones. A baking tray is used, preferably lined with parchment, and the oven should be at 175C, middle shelf. My preferred cutter is labelled 58mm diameter, but of course a little smaller or larger should work. (For larger ones, I've tried double the recipe and a 68mm cutter and this made 16 really excellent scones.)
Cranberry & Currant Scones
Ingredients
230g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
75g very soft or just melted butter
30g caster sugar
40g dried cranberries, snipped in half if large
50g currants
1 egg, lightly beaten
80ml milk
Method
1 Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
2 Rub in the butter with fingertips until the mixture has the look of breadcrumbs.
3 Stir in the sugar and dried fruit.
4 Add the egg and milk and gently work into a dough with hands or dough hooks just until
it forms a single piece.
5 Place the dough on a floured board, pat down gently to about 25mm deep, then smooth
over. Cut out the rounds, then pull together the left over dough and repeat.
6 Put the rounds onto the baking tray, brush lightly with a little milk, and bake for 12-14
minutes until risen and golden but without allowing the currants to char.
Traditionally these are served with butter, clotted (or whipped double) cream and strawberry jam. A nice change, though, is marmalade or another red jam, and I don't feel cream is necessary. Talking of changes, instead of the dried fruit I plan next to try finely grated lemon zest and a teaspoon of lemon essence, or chopped dried apricots and pistachios. Or blueberries.
Quantities and types of dried fruit can, of course, be altered, for example using sultanas instead of currants or all cranberries, but the recipe here has gone into my Special Folder for those that are definite keepers. The relative amounts of flour and milk work for the types I buy (organic plain flour and semi-skimmed organic milk), but if others are used they may need adjusting to make the dough doughy, not too sticky and not too dry.
The recipe makes about ten scones. A baking tray is used, preferably lined with parchment, and the oven should be at 175C, middle shelf. My preferred cutter is labelled 58mm diameter, but of course a little smaller or larger should work. (For larger ones, I've tried double the recipe and a 68mm cutter and this made 16 really excellent scones.)
Cranberry & Currant Scones
Ingredients
230g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
75g very soft or just melted butter
30g caster sugar
40g dried cranberries, snipped in half if large
50g currants
1 egg, lightly beaten
80ml milk
Method
1 Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
2 Rub in the butter with fingertips until the mixture has the look of breadcrumbs.
3 Stir in the sugar and dried fruit.
4 Add the egg and milk and gently work into a dough with hands or dough hooks just until
it forms a single piece.
5 Place the dough on a floured board, pat down gently to about 25mm deep, then smooth
over. Cut out the rounds, then pull together the left over dough and repeat.
6 Put the rounds onto the baking tray, brush lightly with a little milk, and bake for 12-14
minutes until risen and golden but without allowing the currants to char.
Traditionally these are served with butter, clotted (or whipped double) cream and strawberry jam. A nice change, though, is marmalade or another red jam, and I don't feel cream is necessary. Talking of changes, instead of the dried fruit I plan next to try finely grated lemon zest and a teaspoon of lemon essence, or chopped dried apricots and pistachios. Or blueberries.
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
A Bit of Baking - Crunchy Pawprint Biscuits
For a change, a quick piece about my favourite biscuit recipe. These remind me of the prints left on soft surfaces by cats, hence the name. The recipe is based on, and adapted from, one from Biscuits by Miranda Gore Browne, although the name is my own.
The quantities given make about 20-22 biscuits. Preparation takes 15-20 minutes, and baking 12-15. It's easy to manage, and needs no 'rubbing in' of butter with flour. The oven will need to be at 175C, and two baking trays should be ready, lined with parchment.
Pawprint Crunchy Biscuits
Ingredients
160g butter, warmed until just melting
160g caster sugar
Half teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten lightly
150g plain flour plus a separate teaspoonful
35g desiccated coconut
75g jam (strawberry is good) or marmalade
Method
1 Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a medium bowl and beat well until mixed
to a very even consistency.
2 While still beating the mixture, add in the egg. Stir in the 150g of flour and coconut and
mix to a soft, sticky dough. If it's very wet, mix in another level tablespoon of flour.
3 Place balls of the dough (about the size of a walnut in its shell) well apart on the baking
trays.
4 Dipping your thumb into the extra flour each time (to avoid sticking), make a deep dent
in each ball, then fill the dents with the jam or marmalade.
5 Bake for 12-15 minutes until the biscuits are golden - keep an eye on them because
they will quickly overcook around the edges.
6 Once cold, keep any left over in a tin - they last well like that.
 |
| Hettie |
Pawprint Crunchy Biscuits
Ingredients
160g butter, warmed until just melting
160g caster sugar
Half teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten lightly
150g plain flour plus a separate teaspoonful
35g desiccated coconut
75g jam (strawberry is good) or marmalade
 |
| Not the best pic, but there were only these two left by the time I took it! |
1 Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a medium bowl and beat well until mixed
to a very even consistency.
2 While still beating the mixture, add in the egg. Stir in the 150g of flour and coconut and
mix to a soft, sticky dough. If it's very wet, mix in another level tablespoon of flour.
3 Place balls of the dough (about the size of a walnut in its shell) well apart on the baking
trays.
4 Dipping your thumb into the extra flour each time (to avoid sticking), make a deep dent
in each ball, then fill the dents with the jam or marmalade.
5 Bake for 12-15 minutes until the biscuits are golden - keep an eye on them because
they will quickly overcook around the edges.
6 Once cold, keep any left over in a tin - they last well like that.
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Easy Baked Pasta with Cauliflower and Mushrooms
Keen cooks probably knock up a pasta dish without needing a recipe. However, on this blog I like to include some recipes that don't need any special skill, and to give details of preparation and 'do one thing while another is being done'. The ingredients are inexpensive, too.
This dish takes about 20-25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to bake. The recipe serves four, and of course the fusilli can be substituted by another bitty pasta. I don't see it with spaghetti or tagliatelle, but papardelle (wide flat strips) might be OK. If the cook is in a hurry, the dish can be put under the grill for 5 minutes instead of baking, but all ingredients except the cheese would need to be hot already. Or, the dish could be made in advance, then microwaved until piping hot and put under the grill.
For speed, I like packet cheese sauces. Asda's own has the advantage of being made up with boiling water; Sainsbury's own is very tasty but needs milk - though I usually use two-thirds milk and one-third water from cooking the cauli. (In this case the powder goes in a pan and the liquid is stirred in before bringing the sauce to the boil.)
 |
| by Liz West via flickr.com |
Pasta with Cauliflower and Mushrooms
The oven, set at 160C, should be switched on about 10 minutes into the prep time.
A large oven-proof dish is needed, lightly brushed with oil.
A large oven-proof dish is needed, lightly brushed with oil.
Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
1 medium onion
10 small mushrooms
1 small cauliflower, coarser stalks discarded and the rest cut into large chunks
175g fusilli pasta (spirals)
175g fusilli pasta (spirals)
2 packets of cheese sauce
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs (e.g. sage, parsley) or 1 tbsp of dried
Handful of raw fresh peanuts (optional but lovely)
1 tsp ground black pepper
Handful of raw fresh peanuts (optional but lovely)
1 tsp ground black pepper
Matchbox-sized piece of vegetarian cheddar, coarsely grated
 |
| by zimpenfish via flickr.com |
Method
1 Put plenty of water on to boil for the cauliflower, and heat the oil in a small pan.
2 Peel and coarsely chop the onion, then add it to the oil and fry gently for 5 mins.
Trim the mushrooms, add to the onion, and fry a further 3 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, boil the cauliflower for 6-7 minutes, then lift out and place in the
oven-proof dish.
4 Return the cauli water to the boil and add the pasta. Make up the cheese sauce
while letting the pasta simmer for 8-9 mins until nearly soft, stirring often.
Drain and add to the oven dish with the onion mixture.
5 Add the made-up cheese sauce, the herbs, peanuts (if using) and pepper and mix
thoroughly.
6 Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over, and bake for about 25 mins until bubbling
well and the cheese is melted and golden.
Likely veg to serve with this include whole green beans, peas, sweetcorn, grilled halved tomatoes, or roasted red peppers. A chilled cider might go well as an alternative to an Italian white or red wine.
2 Peel and coarsely chop the onion, then add it to the oil and fry gently for 5 mins.
Trim the mushrooms, add to the onion, and fry a further 3 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, boil the cauliflower for 6-7 minutes, then lift out and place in the
oven-proof dish.
4 Return the cauli water to the boil and add the pasta. Make up the cheese sauce
while letting the pasta simmer for 8-9 mins until nearly soft, stirring often.
Drain and add to the oven dish with the onion mixture.
5 Add the made-up cheese sauce, the herbs, peanuts (if using) and pepper and mix
thoroughly.
6 Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over, and bake for about 25 mins until bubbling
well and the cheese is melted and golden.
Monday, 4 March 2013
Famous Chef Names to be Unscrambled!
Here are the names of ten well-known chefs but, like their eggs, they're scrambled although the letters of first and last names are kept separate. The first group are good for plenty of vegetarian recipes, while the second, well perhaps less keen but they will, if asked, do the business. Solutions at the bottom of the page.
 |
| by Roland Tanglao via flickr.com |
Group One
1 tomay thongitole
2 elgin ratels
3 urp heilt
4 intelvane warren
5 hadrum fajfrey
6 harrs wrobn
7 load lizil
 |
| by Jo Marshall via flickr.com |
8 emaji rivelo (who, when I complained about Parmesan in a 'veg' recipe, replied that there were plenty
of other recipes which were suitable!)
9 drogno samery
10 sylenia rithroat
* * * * *
Here's who they really are:
1 Yotam Ottolenghi
2 Nigel Slater
3 Pru Leith
4 Valentine Warner
5 Madhur Jaffrey
6 Sarah Brown
7 Aldo Zilli
8 Jamie Oliver
9 Gordon Ramsey
10 Ainsley Harriott
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Beetroot and Blue Cheese Tart
There's a lot of noise about beetroot at the moment, with suggestions that it has significant health benefits. That apart, although some can't abide it, beetroot can be excellent in a cake mix or salad or - as here - for the star ingredient in a vegetarian dish.
Of course it's noble to buy raw beets and boil them for half an hour or more, but I rarely do this as they are easily available ready-cooked and vacuum packed. If they're served in a salad or otherwise not cooked further, maybe the 'in vinegar' version is good, but I prefer plain.
This recipe serves four, and once the pastry is thawed, should take no more than an hour from start to serving. It's fine at room temperature, but best straight from the oven.
As well as the ingredients listed, a lightly-greased flan dish with diameter around 22cm is needed. A floured board and rolling pin are required if you go along with making the pastry a little thinner than it comes. The oven needs to be at 190C (or 175C for fan type).
that it sits fully in the angle between base and side. Run a sharp knife around the top
of the dish to remove surplus pastry. (This can be used for jam tarts, pasty, tartlet etc.)
Keep the dish in the fridge while preparing the filling.
2 Heat the oil in a medium pan and fry the onion gently for 8 mins, stirring occasionally.
3 Cut each beetroot into 8 pieces and pat dry with kitchen paper. Add to the pan with
the sugar and herbs. Fry for a further 6 mins, occasionally stirring gently.
4 Using a slotted spoon (to avoid making the pastry soggy), lift the beetroot mixture out
of the pan and spread evenly over the pastry base. Sprinkle the cheese over it.
5 Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 mins or so, until the cheese is bubbling
and the pastry is browned.
Serving Suggestions
Boiled and buttered baby or new potatoes, baked potato, stir-fried mange touts, broccoli. (A red or orange vegetable might clash, and we can't be doing with that.) Another idea is button mushrooms sauteed in butter then mixed with a little double cream and dill seeds.
Thanks for looking at this post, anyway. And if you felt like following and don't already, then that would be most excellent!
Of course it's noble to buy raw beets and boil them for half an hour or more, but I rarely do this as they are easily available ready-cooked and vacuum packed. If they're served in a salad or otherwise not cooked further, maybe the 'in vinegar' version is good, but I prefer plain.
 |
| by Annie Mole via flickr.com |
As well as the ingredients listed, a lightly-greased flan dish with diameter around 22cm is needed. A floured board and rolling pin are required if you go along with making the pastry a little thinner than it comes. The oven needs to be at 190C (or 175C for fan type).
Beetroot and Blue Cheese Tart
Ingredients
1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry (Jus-Roll now do a 'lighter' version)
1 tbsp oil
1 large onion (about 200g), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 vacuum-pack of ready-cooked beetroot (500g), drained
1 heaped tbsp soft brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, basil, thyme)
90g blue cheese, crumbled
Method
1 Unless you like the pastry thick, roll it out more thinly on the floured board. Lift and
place it carefully over the flan dish and, without stretching, ease the sides down so that it sits fully in the angle between base and side. Run a sharp knife around the top
of the dish to remove surplus pastry. (This can be used for jam tarts, pasty, tartlet etc.)
Keep the dish in the fridge while preparing the filling.
2 Heat the oil in a medium pan and fry the onion gently for 8 mins, stirring occasionally.
3 Cut each beetroot into 8 pieces and pat dry with kitchen paper. Add to the pan with
the sugar and herbs. Fry for a further 6 mins, occasionally stirring gently.
4 Using a slotted spoon (to avoid making the pastry soggy), lift the beetroot mixture out
of the pan and spread evenly over the pastry base. Sprinkle the cheese over it.
5 Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 mins or so, until the cheese is bubbling
and the pastry is browned.
Serving Suggestions
Boiled and buttered baby or new potatoes, baked potato, stir-fried mange touts, broccoli. (A red or orange vegetable might clash, and we can't be doing with that.) Another idea is button mushrooms sauteed in butter then mixed with a little double cream and dill seeds.
Thanks for looking at this post, anyway. And if you felt like following and don't already, then that would be most excellent!
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Chocolate Vodka - What's Not To Like?
Well it is suitable for vegetarians ... providing the chocolate is.
This drink is rich in taste and calories, but on the plus side a little goes a long way, it's easily and quickly made, and it really is delicious in a Bailey's sort of way.
This quantity would make about six or so shots - about 300ml. The quantities can be altered if a taste suggests it's needed.
Chocolate Vodka
Ingredients
180ml double cream
50g plain chocolate, broken up
90ml vodka
Method
1 Place the cream and chocolate in a small pan on a low heat.
2 Stir gently until the chocolate has melted into the cream, but don't allow to boil.
3 Stir in the vodka.
4 Leave to cool completely and pour into a sealed bottle.
Instead of the plain chocolate, a Mars bar could be sliced and melted into the cream. In this case, the mousse-type layer might not fully melt so the drink may need to be bottled by pouring through a sieve placed over a funnel. Nice though - a hint of caramel. I've tried it.
Haven't tried any additional flavours, but wondering if a splash of orange essence might be good.
Also thinking this would be good in a small, strong black coffee. Or over ice cream for adults, poured into lovely creamed rice, or over peeled and sliced clementines. Etc.
This drink is rich in taste and calories, but on the plus side a little goes a long way, it's easily and quickly made, and it really is delicious in a Bailey's sort of way.
This quantity would make about six or so shots - about 300ml. The quantities can be altered if a taste suggests it's needed.
Ingredients
180ml double cream
50g plain chocolate, broken up
90ml vodka
Method
1 Place the cream and chocolate in a small pan on a low heat.
2 Stir gently until the chocolate has melted into the cream, but don't allow to boil.
3 Stir in the vodka.
4 Leave to cool completely and pour into a sealed bottle.
Instead of the plain chocolate, a Mars bar could be sliced and melted into the cream. In this case, the mousse-type layer might not fully melt so the drink may need to be bottled by pouring through a sieve placed over a funnel. Nice though - a hint of caramel. I've tried it.
Haven't tried any additional flavours, but wondering if a splash of orange essence might be good.
Also thinking this would be good in a small, strong black coffee. Or over ice cream for adults, poured into lovely creamed rice, or over peeled and sliced clementines. Etc.
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